Two young women have gone missing inside the long conflict ridden parts of Bugoma Central Forest Reserve in Kikuube District.
The missing have been identified by their father as Evelyn Natukunda, 20, a senior four student at Nyairongo Seed Secondary School and her elder sister, Agnes Tumwebaze, who completed senior six last year.
Mr Innocent Akankwasa, a resident of the forest neighbourhood of Nyairongo village in Kabwoya sub-county, Kukuube district says his daughters went missing July 5, 2023, when they had gone to harvest maize along with their mother, Ms Edivina Biwaga.
He alleges that the duo disappeared during a dispute when soldiers were evicting people from gardens believed to be in the disputed parts of Bugoma forest between the residents and Hoima Sugar Limited.
Mr Akankwasa adds that soldiers backing a man only identified as Bogere arrested and took Ms Biwaga to Kikuube police station leaving the young women scattered for safety in the forest.
Ms Biwaga was purportedly detained for a week before she was released on police bond.
The Nyairongo village authorities backed by the residents searched for the missing persons in vain besides the police being involved since 9 this month.
The Albertine Region Police Public Relations Officer, SP Julius Allan Hakiza, says the police are aware of the incident disclosing that the search and in-depth investigations are ongoing.
In November last year, a Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) soldier was arrested after he was allegedly robbed of his gun in the same forest before a suspected gun robber was apprehended and the rifle recovered.
Shortly later, Kikuube security agents led by the Resident District Commissioner, Mr Amlan Tumusiime, arrested a man for defiling and cohabiting a teenager who had dropped out of school in Ntungamo district.
The girl was found being engaged in child labour and child marriage in the Bugoma jungle compartments.
Since the dispute over land ownership heightened in 2020, Bugoma has been a centre of allegations of illegalities as it attracted numerous people who want to utilise the land and harvest forest resources.
